Effect of ER4043 and ER5356 filler wire on mechanical properties and microstructure of dissimilar aluminium alloys, 5083-O and 6061-T6 joint, welded by the metal inert gas welding

This work studies the effect of filler metal on the mechanical and microstructure properties of dissimilar aluminium alloys of 5083-O and 6061-T6 welded using metal inert gas welding. The metal inert gas welding was used because it is widely being used for joining aluminium alloys for aerospace, marine, automotive and many other application of commercial importance. The joints were fabricated using filler metals ER4043 and ER5356. Both welded samples were cut according to ASTM B-557M to obtain the tensile strength, and Vickers hardness was measured at welded metal, heat-affected zone and base metal. The mechanical properties of welded samples were analysed by using micrographs obtained from optical microscopy. From the results, the filler metals ER5356 were more able to enhance the mechanical properties and microstructure characteristics of the welded samples.